1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic component holder suited to hold an electronic component and particularly, a chip-type electronic component, and an electronic component handling method using the electronic component holder.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For example, in the fabricating processes of a chip-type electronic component such as a chip-type multilayer capacitor, an electronic component holder shown in FIG. 2 has been used in forming outer electrodes on both end surfaces of an electronic component chip or connecting a measuring circuit between the outer electrodes to measure electrical properties.
The electronic component holder 2 has a structure in which an adhesive surface 2b is formed by affixing an adhesive tape to one of the end surfaces of a rigid supporting plate 2a composed of a metal or synthetic resin.
In using the electronic component holder 2, an electronic component chip 3 is fixed to the above described adhesive surface 2b utilizing adhesive power as shown to, for example, form outer electrodes or measure electrical properties.
In the conventional electronic component holder 2, when the electronic component chip 3 is removed after forming the outer electrodes or measuring the electrical properties, pressure sensitive adhesives are moved toward the electronic component chip 3, whereby the surface of the electronic component chip 3 becomes dirty. Particularly if the pressure sensitive adhesives are greatly moved, the removed electronic component chip 3 is liable to adhere to another removed electronic component chip 3, or surrounding dust or the like is liable to adhere to the electronic component chip 3.
Furthermore, the degradation of the adhesive power of the adhesive surface 2b may proceed rapidly depending on the method. For example, when the outer electrodes are formed utilizing the step of applying a conductive paste made of a thick film and drying the same, the electronic component holder 2 is repeatedly passed through a high-temperature atmosphere. As a result, the adhesive power of the adhesive surface 2b is significantly degraded, whereby the electronic component chip 3 may, in some cases, be dropped from the holder 2.
Additionally, the adhesive power of the adhesive surface 2b is liable to be degraded by the lapse of time. If the adhesive power is utilized for, for example, forming the outer electrodes, therefore, the adhesive surface 2b must be formed again after approximately 20 cycles, resulting in high cost.
On the other hand, when an electronic component holder 2 is used to form outer electrodes in both ends of an electronic component chip 3, the length L of the electronic component chip 3 must be made more than the thickness T of the electronic component holder 2, as shown in FIG. 3. If the above described thickness T is decreased, an area for holding the electronic component chip 3 is decreased. Moreover, since the electronic component chip 3 is held only on its one surface, the electronic component chip 3 may not, in some cases, be stably held as shown in FIG. 4, to be used for the step of forming the outer electrodes or the step of measuring electrical properties in an inclined position. As a result, in some cases, the outer electrodes cannot be reliably formed in a desired shape or the electrical properties cannot be measured with high precision.
Furthermore, in recent years, miniaturization of the electronic component has proceeded rapidly. If the length L of the electronic component chip 3 becomes significantly small, i.e., not more than 3 mm, it is extremely difficult to hold the electronic component chip 3 in the electronic component holder 2.